News Release

Synopsys VLSI Design Curriculum Adopted at Five Regional Center of Excellence in IndiaGoal is to develop a qualified workforce for India's high-tech industry through advanced education in microelectronics

Chandigarh, India, January 16, 2010 - Synopsys, Inc., a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing today announced the adoption of its comprehensive VLSI design curriculum in five regional centers of excellence across India: Visvesvaraya Technologics University (VTU) in the State of Karnataka; Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) Hyderabad in the State of Andhra Pradesh; North East Technical Education Society (NETES) serving the State of Assam and eight other North East states; Bhubaneswar Institute of Technology (BIT) in the State of Orissa; and Chitkara University in the States of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, where a Masters program in microelectronics was announced earlier.

Offered in collaboration with Seer Akademi, the program features a state-of-the-art computing environment, use of Synopsys software tools and IC design flow, and access to experienced faculty. The curriculum will be used in classroom instruction, training and research to help advance the circuit design and fabrication knowledge of India’s engineering graduates. Courses will be conducted via interactive online webinars, social networking media and live sessions with academic and industry experts. New programs in embedded systems, alternate energy, electronics entrepreneurship and smart grid technology will also be created. Courses are planned to be available starting fall 2010.

Developed by the Synopsys Armenia Education Department (SAED), the curriculum is part of the Synopsys Worldwide University Program. This proven educational model of university-industry cooperation was successfully implemented in Armenia, Russia and China before being adopted by universities in India. The program is aimed at training specialists to meet the complex design requirements of semiconductor industry companies, a key component in the competiveness of India's high tech economy. The goal is to provide a qualified workforce that has the knowledge and skills necessary to be quickly productive in the industry. Working with Seer Akademi, SAED will also provide the regional centers of excellence with the industry experts and academic faculty to supervise Master theses and PhD dissertations.

The centers of excellence in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and the North Eastern Region are leading the way to implement critical educational programs to provide highly qualified engineers for India’s growing high tech economy. "Working with these regional centers of excellence is a key foundational step in enabling the developing Indian semiconductor industry by providing a skilled work force. Together, we intend to become an important source of this key resource," said Rich Goldman, vice president of corporate marketing and strategic alliances at Synopsys.

"With the growth of the electronics in India, we need to establish new ways to create a workforce skilled in using the latest advanced technologies or we may not be able to keep up with the opportunities that come our way," said Prof. Srikanth Jadcherla, chairman and CEO of Seer Akademi. "This initiative is powerful because it combines advanced education and research to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. This ecosystem can play an important role in fostering the technology talent India will need. Synopsys has been successful in establishing practices to help develop a highly qualified workforce in several other countries. We want to bring this success to the Indian students."

"Karnataka is home to most of the prominent IT companies and multi-nationals of India," said Vice-chancellor Prof. H.P.Khincha at VTU. "We are pleased that Reva Institute in Karnataka is initiating a collaboration with Synopsys, the EDA industry leader, and Seer Akademi, to bring VLSI education to our students. We hope many more colleges benefit from this program in the future." "We see areas such as solar, wind and smart grids shaping the Indian landscape in the coming years," said Prof. Lalkishore, rector of JNTU Hyderabad. "We have hence initiated this collaboration with Synopsys and Seer Akademi to make this happen. Our graduates are sought the world over due to various such programs undertaken by JNTU Hyderabad."

"In the northeastern region of India, except for Assam, there was hardly any facility for technical education and advanced research until about five years back. Besides the governments, now the private engineering colleges are coming up with a mission and vision to initiate serious research and training facilities. NITS Mirza, under North East Technical Education Society is one such establishment that has forged ahead with generous support from Synopsys and Seer Akademi for training the engineering students for better employability," said Dr. A. K. Gogoi, president of NETES. "We have severe problems of communication in the region, coupled with getting qualified technical personnel. In this regard, Seer Akademi has helped us bridge the gaps, with Synopsys bringing us close to the international standards of training and research."

"Bhubaneswar Institute of Technology in Orissa has been founded by eminent academicians from the USA to offer world-class technical education and research. The VLSI-embedded systems program offered by the Synopsys University Program and Seer Akademi aligns well with the core expertise of the founding members of BIT and its original roadmap," said Prof. Rabi Mahapatra, chairman and founder of BIT. "This synergistic relationship will significantly foster the growth of electronics education and help enable development of electronics companies in India that compete globally."

About Seer AkademiSeer Akademi is a pioneer in electronics education helping Indian colleges and universities achieve world-class programs in VLSI and embedded systems. Its methodology focuses on a unique combination of local and online faculty with skill-matrix-based learning. Seer is an educational content provider for Synopsys University Programs. Visit Seer Akademi online at http://www.seerakademi.com.

About SynopsysSynopsys, Inc. is a world leader in electronic design automation (EDA), supplying the global electronics market with the software, intellectual property (IP) and services used in semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing. Synopsys' comprehensive, integrated portfolio of implementation, verification, IP, manufacturing and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) solutions helps address the key challenges designers and manufacturers face today, such as power and yield management, software-to-silicon verification and time-to-results. These technology-leading solutions help give Synopsys customers a competitive edge in bringing the best products to market quickly while reducing costs and schedule risk. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has more than 65 offices located throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com.